McCrory’s administration outlines priorities at State of the Region’

Craven County and its municipalities were well represented at North Carolina’s Eastern Region State of the Region conference in Greenville on Thursday, all looking for ways to enhance economic growth.

SUE BOOK – New Bern Sun Journal

Craven County and its municipalities were well represented at North Carolina’s Eastern Region State of the Region conference in Greenville on Thursday, all looking for ways to enhance economic growth.

Representing Craven County, which is reorganizing its own economic development strategy, were county commissioners Jeff Taylor and Tom Mark, Craven County Manager Jack Veit, and Gene Hodges, the assistant county manager and interim economic development director.

Business and government officials and staff from New Bern, River Bend, Havelock, Allies for Cherry Point’s Tomorrow, Craven Community College and Coastal Carolina Regional Airport were also among the 400 attending the meeting at which Tony Almeida, Gov. Pat McCrory’s senior adviser on jobs and the economy, delivered the main address.

Almeida spelled out the new state administration's strategy for economic development in remarks he made while filling in for scheduled keynote speaker N.C. Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker, who had to make a budget presentation to the legislature.

Hodges said Almeida’s presentation outlined what the administration considers its 10 key priorities to improve the business climate in North Carolina, which has among the highest jobless rates in the country.

That includes “an evolutionary rather than revolutionary tax reform” plan to make the state competitive with its peers; strengthening kindergarten through college education by including career standards and technical training; filling the job skills gap through workforce development; aiding small business development with “one stop” assistance to deal with regulations for starting a business; increasing agribusiness and agribusiness exports by 25 percent; increasing venture capital access; developing a strategic energy policy; growing the military defense sector; and creating a statewide economic development strategic plan.

North Carolina’s Eastern Region leaders talked about advancing logistics, an emerging business cluster in the region, and transforming education in a way that emphasizes strong science, technology, electronics and math skill development, something already under way in Craven County with its STEM program.

N.C. Eastern Region’s 2012 State of the Region report was presented and will be posted soon on the regional group’s website, nceast.org.

Next week, a consultant hired to help Craven County develop an economic development strategic plan will be sharing initial data with a steering committee that is finalizing a plan to submit to Craven County Board of Commissioners in May or June.

That steering committee includes representatives from education, county and municipal governments, business and the military.